The Elf–Dragon Wars
Although the destruction visited upon Xen’drik by the dragons was monumental, some of the continent's denizens did survive. While the dragons brooded, elven refugees established the nation of Aerenal on that tropical island-continent after fleeing Xen’drik. Thousands of years of research into necromancy and the magical teachings of Argonnessen produced the Undying Court, an alliance of undying elves with a collective magical and divine might that rivaled the fiendish Overlords of the first age of the world. Since that time—nearly twenty-five thousand years before the founding of Galifar—dragons and elves have been at war. The tides of strife ebb and flow and centuries might pass between battles . . . but sooner or later the dragons return to fight once more. The basis of this age-old conflict, and its conduct, is another of the mysteries of Argonnessen.
Many find it impossible to imagine that the Aereni could stand against the force that utterly destroyed the giant civilizations of Xen’drik. In truth, the elves have never faced the full power of Argonnessen. The strike on Xen’drik was carried out by the full, unified force of dragonkind; the Elf–Dragon Wars have involved only a few flights from the Light of Siberys, the draconic army ofArgonessen. The fact that the Undying Court has been able to hold off the dragons remains an impressive feat, but the undying have never faced the true power that ravaged a continent.
Those who study this puzzling behavior ask: Why not? What motivates this seemingly endless struggle? If the dragons truly wished to eliminate the elves, why do they not commit their full forces to the task? If they do not care enough to do so, why do they continue to fight in the first place?
One theory is that the dragons despise the extensive practice of necromancy, even when it draws on the radiant energy of Irian, the Eternal Dawn, but do not view it with the same abhorrence or alarm as the giants’ planar studies and blood magic. Thus, they cannot agree en masse that Aerenal should be laid low.
Another possibility is that the struggle is a form of exercise for the dragons, a proving ground for the younger warriors of the Light of Siberys. Conversely, it might be that the wars are fought to test the elves and harden them for some future conflict foreseen in the Prophecy, just as a soldier will sharpen his blade in preparation for battles to come. The dragons might be unwilling to share the secrets of their arcane power with lesser races, but they can still push the lower creatures to reach their full potentials. The long struggle with the dragons has certainly forced the clerics and wizards of the Aereni and the warriors of the Tairnadal to master the arts of battle and magic.
The elder wyrms of Argonnessen offer no explanations for their actions, nor do they negotiate. Only two instances of elves and dragons working side by side are known, and both involve the noble line of the House of Vol. Following the appearance of the Mark of Death, a number of green dragons began working with the Aereni family line of Vol in whom the dragonmark appeared. This alliance produced the half-dragon female Erandis d’Vol. Allies of Vol in the present time claim that her birth was intended to forge a bond between the two races and bring an end to the constant wars.
Others believe that the emerald-skinned dragons sought to gain control of the Mark of Death through their half-dragon offspring. In the end, the birth of Erandis d’Vol did unite Aerenal and Argonnessen . . . in a quest to eradicate the line of Vol. But this alliance was short-lived and involved minimal communication between the allies. Once the House of Vol fell into shadow, the dragons returned to Argonnessen, and in a few centuries, the cycle of war began anew.
Many find it impossible to imagine that the Aereni could stand against the force that utterly destroyed the giant civilizations of Xen’drik. In truth, the elves have never faced the full power of Argonnessen. The strike on Xen’drik was carried out by the full, unified force of dragonkind; the Elf–Dragon Wars have involved only a few flights from the Light of Siberys, the draconic army ofArgonessen. The fact that the Undying Court has been able to hold off the dragons remains an impressive feat, but the undying have never faced the true power that ravaged a continent.
Those who study this puzzling behavior ask: Why not? What motivates this seemingly endless struggle? If the dragons truly wished to eliminate the elves, why do they not commit their full forces to the task? If they do not care enough to do so, why do they continue to fight in the first place?
One theory is that the dragons despise the extensive practice of necromancy, even when it draws on the radiant energy of Irian, the Eternal Dawn, but do not view it with the same abhorrence or alarm as the giants’ planar studies and blood magic. Thus, they cannot agree en masse that Aerenal should be laid low.
Another possibility is that the struggle is a form of exercise for the dragons, a proving ground for the younger warriors of the Light of Siberys. Conversely, it might be that the wars are fought to test the elves and harden them for some future conflict foreseen in the Prophecy, just as a soldier will sharpen his blade in preparation for battles to come. The dragons might be unwilling to share the secrets of their arcane power with lesser races, but they can still push the lower creatures to reach their full potentials. The long struggle with the dragons has certainly forced the clerics and wizards of the Aereni and the warriors of the Tairnadal to master the arts of battle and magic.
The elder wyrms of Argonnessen offer no explanations for their actions, nor do they negotiate. Only two instances of elves and dragons working side by side are known, and both involve the noble line of the House of Vol. Following the appearance of the Mark of Death, a number of green dragons began working with the Aereni family line of Vol in whom the dragonmark appeared. This alliance produced the half-dragon female Erandis d’Vol. Allies of Vol in the present time claim that her birth was intended to forge a bond between the two races and bring an end to the constant wars.
Others believe that the emerald-skinned dragons sought to gain control of the Mark of Death through their half-dragon offspring. In the end, the birth of Erandis d’Vol did unite Aerenal and Argonnessen . . . in a quest to eradicate the line of Vol. But this alliance was short-lived and involved minimal communication between the allies. Once the House of Vol fell into shadow, the dragons returned to Argonnessen, and in a few centuries, the cycle of war began anew.
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